Presently, the expression “hatch arrangement” is to be understood in a broad sense. It includes in particular any kind of doors of a motor vehicle such a side doors or back doors as well as tailgates, lift gates, trunk lids or engine hoods.
From the prior art and in particular DE 20 2012 004 789 U1 a power tailgate with a cinching system is known. Once the catch of the hatch lock of the tailgate has reached the secondary latch position—whether through manual movement of the tailgate or powered movement of the tailgate or a combination thereof—the cinching system acts on the catch to pull it from a secondary latch position to the primary latch position, thereby ensuring an automatic closing of the hatch which is secure and complete. For a correct timing of the activation of such a cinching system and in order to overcome the seal pressure, which acts against the completion of the closing of the tailgate, such a cinching system relies on switch signals and comprises an actuator able to exert a force sufficient to overcome e.g. the seal pressure. Such a cinching system must not only not interfere with the standard latching functions, but it also needs to detect and react to malfunctions during the cinching process. In addition, after having moved the catch of the hatch lock to the primary latch position, a reversal movement of the actuator of the cinching system is usually required. Because this reversal movement takes place at a time when no visible parts of the hatch are moving, any resulting noise is perceived as annoying and potentially misunderstood as a malfunction by an occupant of the motor vehicle. Finally, for wet area applications additional sealing may be necessary for the cinching system and its associated wiring.